Page 55 of Same One
Tabian thought of how the kids had looked at Bayen outside that school. “Do you play sports?”
“A subject change? Nice.”
“Thanks, I thought so too,” Tabian threw back at him.
“I’m not allowed to play sports. Obviously.”
“Why obviously?”
“A werewolf on a human sports team? The parents would have a conniption, and we would get sued the second one of their fragile little kids twisted an ankle. The most the school would ever let me do is work out with the team in the weight room, but that’s only if I had a chaperone.”
“What team?”
Bayen looked at him, and away, at him, and away. “Football.”
“You like football?”
“It’s fun to watch. Wouldn’t know about playing.”
“So, get a chaperone and work out in the weight room with the team. Get your foot in the door. Be respectful of the coaches, be the hardest worker in the room, spot the guys and keep them safe on those big weights. Prove you belong and then let the coaches push for more.”
Bayen huffed a laugh. “Doesn’t work like that. No one will chaperone me.”
“Why not?”
“Forget it. I’m starving, and tired of this conversation. I forgot to bring my lunch today.”
“Dude, you can’t do that. Your wolf will be harder to manage and you’re around a bunch of humans. You have to feed yourself.”
“I don’t need a lecture, stranger. Thanks. I’ve got this.”
Tabian parked in the spot right up front and turned his truck off, then got out. He tried to hold open the door for Bayen, but the boy looked pissed and waited for him to go inside completely so he could open the door for himself.
Tabian shook his head and barely resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He hadn’t been around teenagers much. There was a table with a family in the corner. Looked like they were waiting for pizza, but the dad was about Tabian’s age and twitched his chin up in the air in a greeting. “I know you.”
“Donnie,” his wife murmured.
“No, it’s that guy that does the camping,” Donnie said to her.
Tabian looked at Bayen, but the boy was looking at the teenage girl that was sitting across from Donnie. She was watching him too.
Usually he was pretty short when people recognized him, but this time was different.
Tabian smiled and approached the family, hand offered for a shake. “Tabian,” he introduced himself.
“I’m Donnie. This is my wife, Rachel.” Donnie gestured to the kids, a girl and a boy. “Kids,” he said simply.
Tabian nodded and gestured for Bayen to come here. He was hanging back near the door quietly.
“This is Bayen,” Tabian introduced them.
“How is it having a famous dad?” Donnie asked, offering a hand to shake to Bayen.
Tabian expected him to correct Donnie, but Bayen just shook his hand and glanced at the girl and nodded slightly.
“I recognized you before you even came in here just from your truck. Do you live local? Or are you on a camping trip? Wait, are there cameras?” he asked, looking around.
Tabian chuckled and shook his head. “This is home base. I’m heading out tonight to a place called Warner Bluff. Have you heard of it?”
